I just got finished reading this article entitled Linux and Audio Production: Simplicity Required. A couple of things caught my attention - it was about audio recording, a topic near and dear to my heart, and it stated “simplicity required”.

Now to all the tech heads who can’t see past their own wants and needs, to those who state we are targeting brain dead users by dumbing down the interface, I give you the typical user I personally try to target. Read the article.

Jono Bacon is a smart guy. He states:

The solution to the problem is integrating key, predictable components and making them work flawlessly. In all honestly, if I cannot download the software and make it work straight away without tinkering around with sound servers and such, it will not get a look in. Period. When you download and use Firefox it just works, when you use OpenOffice.org it just works, when you use The GIMP it just works - when you use Cubase it just works.

He just isn’t a guy who wants to tinker around with his computer. As a user he wants the computer to be a tool for recording and mixing music. This is important distinction as people who work on bringing these tools to the user often get lost in the fun of tinkering. It is one of the reason programmers shouldn’t be designers because they often get tied up in designing for the programmers needs or mindset and not the users.

Programmers should also give more respect to designers, usability experts and all around sensible thinkers who are for the most part one step removed from the down and dirty bits and bytes that programmers love to wallow in. This gives them a clearer view of the computing landscape to those who use computer for more than just a playground (believe me these users more than outnumber us).

Often designers feel they are being ignored simply because they are not on the front lines writing the code and in our community it is those who write the code who have the most say. When thinking about this it is good to remember that while the designers may be one step away from the code we as programmers are most likely miles away from the typical user.

“With great power comes great responsibility” (ok I know the quote is cheesy but it holds a kernel of truth). We as programmers must be willing to use our power to create not just for ourselves but for the wider audience. If Linux is to succeed on the desktop and grow in mindshare it is people like Jono who we need to be listening to. “Simplicity Required” states it all quite simply.

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